Dragonborn
by Miss Megz
Summary: Drabbles based around certain parts of the game and how I think the characters should/would have acted
1. He Knew

Disclaimer: I do not own Skyrim, Bethseda does

From the first moment he saw her he knew she didn't belong on the cart with the Stormcloaks. Hadvar watched from his post at Ralof and the horse thief talked back and forth while the lone Khajiit looked at the small town of Helgen at though it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. The Imperial soldier guessed that was because it was most likely the last thing she would ever see.

The carts came to a stop and the prisoners hopped off and waited for their names to be called. All watched as Lokir tried to make a run for it. The Stormcloaks looked at the display with contempt; seeing only a coward too scared to face his death with honor. Being a Nord, he saw the same thing. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what she was with her cat-like eyes. The Captain ordered her forward and he was able to get a better look at the cat. Her fur was a burnt orange with bright orange eyes, the fur around her left eye and upper cheek was black as was under right eye. Her nose, mouth, chin, and forehead were a maroon red while her lower left cheek and all of her right cheek were white. There were also scars running diagonal on her nose and one just barely missing her left eye. The Imperial soldier could also see white markings on her neck. "Who are you?" He asked after taking her bizarre appearance.

The Khajiit was quiet for a moment. _Does she not know Tamrielic(__i)__? _He wondered. "This one is called Dar'Teeg," she answered with the same rough voice her kind was known for. _Not as rough as Argonians, though_ Hadvar thought.

He turned to the Captain, "she's not on the list," He questioned, maybe she could be spared…

"She goes to the block," was his superior's answer.

"By your order, Captain," he sighed and turned back to the cat, "I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Elsweyr." Her ears flicked and her multiple earrings jingled with the movement but otherwise she didn't react. "Follow the Captain, Prisoner," he ordered and watched her follow the Captain, clawed feet(ii) leaving marks in the dirt.

* * *

Hadvar watched as the Priestess was giving the prisoners their last rites; again the Khajiit was looking elsewhere, at the sky this time. He saw many emotions in her eyes but fear was not one of them. The Nord could only feel pity for the doomed cat so far away from her home. The first head fell into the basket and the Captain called for "the cat". Again, only her ears flicked as a reaction. She walked forward with her eyes staring longingly at the skies. _Is she hoping for something to save her or is she homesick?_ He wondered. Just as the axe was about to fall, a dragon landed on the watch tower. The black dragon let out a mighty shout and almost everyone was knocked off their feet. The shout had killed the headsmen and Hadvar was too busy trying to save the townsfolk to bother with the bound Khajiit. By the time he remembered her, she was already with Ralof running for the neared tower. He caught a glimpse of her leaping from the hole in the tower into the building below; idly he wondered if she made the leap.

* * *

Hadvar next saw her again when he was calling Haming(iii) to the meager protection offered by the remains of a burning wall. Her arms were still bound and her fur was singed but seemed fine otherwise. "Still alive, Prisoner? Stay close if you want to stay that way," he commanded. The soldier made a run for the Keep with her hot on his heels. Once inside he took his dagger to her binds and got to see up close a Khajiit's claws; they were so long and sharp(iv)! He hoped he was never on the receiving end of those claws. "Look in those chests for some weapons and armour, I'm going to look for something for these burns," he ordered and turned to start looking. The Imperial Nord dressed his wounds as best he could and waited by the door for her. He watched as she eyed the sword in her hand with distain(v) but took it anyways. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yes," was her rough reply and into the Keep's halls they disappeared.

* * *

Hadvar mentally cursed at the predicament he found himself in; a group of Stormcloaks was in one of the tunnels and even with the Torturer's Assistant and the Prisoner, they were still out-numbered. It was to his great surprise when he saw Dar'Teeg take on three Stormcloaks with nothing more than her claws and out victorious. Yes, he was happy not to be on the receiving end of those claws.

When the ceiling fell down where they just were, he silently hoped the torturer and his assistant were alright but doubted it. "Come on, we have to keep moving," he called out.

* * *

It was the first time he had seen a Khajiit sneak. If it wasn't for the Cave Bear, he might have laughed! The Prisoner had gotten on all fours(vi) and was sneaking past the bear like any wild cat would. Hadvar had to admit though; she was faster and quieter on all fours than he was on two. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when the bear shifted her weight. He looked over at the Khajiit to see her watching the bear with narrowed eyes and hand on the bow. _Can she not feel fear?_ He wondered.

They escaped the cave and the Nord blinked in the sudden sunlight, he looked to see the Prisoner rubbing her eyes in the sun. Suddenly she stopped and glared up at the sky with flattened ears and was hissing, seconds later the dragon flew by and both dove behind a rock for cover. Once the dragon was out of sight, he stood up. "There, I think he's gone for good this time," he breathed, "but I'd rather not stick around and find out," Hadvar explained to her that she should see his uncle in Riverwood and that they should part ways but was glad when she decided to travel with him; it was a long walk and he could do with the company. "I just realized, I never told you my name," he knew she probably already knew his name but it was polite to tell her anyways, "my name is Hadvar."

"This one is pleased to meet you," she smiled and Hadvar decided that he was happy not be on the business end of those fangs either.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" He asked.

"That is a question but go ahead."

"What were you doing by the border where we had our ambush?"

She paused for a moment to think, "Khajiit spied an injured soldier and went to investigate if was dead or not."

"Oh…" he trailed off. Here she had just been trying to help and was put to the axe for it.

She must have seen his expression because she started laughing, "this one was hoping for a dead soldier so she could take his supplies."

Hadvar was quiet for a minute; he wasn't sure if he was happy that she wasn't punished for a good deed or upset because she didn't care about the nameless soldier. "I see," he finally answered.

"The dead are dead and respect for a body must come second to survival," she explained, "dead soldier doesn't need food or armour but cold and hungry Khajiit does."

The Nord nodded, he could see the sense in that but it still didn't sit right with him that she had been robbing the dead. "What brings you to Skyrim?" He asked, "you don't look like you belong to a caravan."

"Khajiit is looking for something," she hummed.

"And what is that?" He asked.

Dar'Teeg paused in thought, "this one was in Hammerfell at the Shrine of Azurah(vii) praying to when Mother Soul(viii) spoke to me. She said that the people of Skyrim would need this one and Khajiit's presence would determine fate of Nirn(ix). Whether Azurah spoke or this one has gone mad isn't decided yet. If this one is mad, this one wishes her madness took her someplace warm!" She rubbed her arms and shivered to further prove she was cold. He was about to continue but was stopped when her ears flattened and she started hissing at a large boulder. No more than a handful of seconds later they were attacked by three wolves.

_That is quite handy_ he thought as he fought the wolves.

* * *

They arrived in Riverwood with no further trouble and found his uncle, who was worried about his appearance, easily. "Who is this?" Alvor asked his nephew suspiciously, like most Nords, his uncle was distrustful of Khajiit.

"She's a friend," he answered and heard the earrings jingle as her ears perked at the word, "if it wasn't for her, I doubt I would be here right now."

His uncle studied the cat for a moment. "Any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of mine," he finally relented and led them inside.

Once they were all seated, he told his uncle what had happened, "I need to return to General Tulis and tell him what happened." His aunt gently placed a hand on his shoulder that told him he wasn't going anywhere until his wounds were healed.

His uncle and turned to his friend, "I need your help. Someone has to go to Whiterun and tell Jarl Balgruff that Riverwood is in danger."

* * *

"This one will leave for White run immediately," she confirmed and left the house. Hadvar watched from the window as she sprinted on all fours(x), Yes, he knew from the moment he first saw her that she didn't belong on that cart.

* * *

i The language I'm assuming spoken in Tamriel and since Khajiits have an accent, I'm assuming they have a different native tongue

ii A mod that gives Argonians and Khajiit more bestial looking feet you can get off Nexus

iii The kid from Helgen

iv Another mod from Nexus that fixes Khajiit claw damage from 12 to 15 like it should be

v Wiki it says Khajiit prefer to fight with their claws rather than weapons

vi A mod you can get that lets you walk like a cat. It's not meant for vanilla races but with some extra mods, you can make it that way

vii Khajiit "Azura"

viii Another name for Azura

ix The planet they live on

x Again part of the mod that lets you move around like a cat


	2. Great Things

Disclaimer: I don't own The Elder Scrolls games (but how I wish I did!)

Irileth saw the singes Khajiit push through the Dragonsreach's doors and was somewhat surprised to see the furry mer. _The guards aren't doing their duty _she thought _if a Khajiit has made it this far into the city_. The cat approached the Jarl's throne and she immediately moved to stop her. "The Jarl is not receiving visitors," she told the Khajiit none too kindly.

"This one has a message for the Jarl, Riverwood is in danger!" She responded calmly but urgently.

This caught the Dark Elf's attention, "you have my attention. What is the message?"

"Khajiit was told to tell the Jarl," she huffed, tail flicking in annoyance.

"Anything you have to say to the Jarl you can tell me. I'm starting to think-" she was cut off as she began to draw her sword.

"Enough, Irileth. I want to hear what she has to say," were the Jarl's orders and she reluctantly stepped aside, hand never leaving her sword. "What is this about Riverwood being in danger?" He asked.

"A dragon attacked Helgen and was last seen flying over Riverwood," she replied. The housecarl was ready to cut her down where she stood for telling such an outlandish lie! The Jarl shot a look at her and she sighed in defeat and let go of her sword. "Are you sure it wasn't a Stormcloak raid gone wrong?" He asked.

The Khajiit shook her head, her earrings and the rings in her hair jingling as she did. "This one was in Helgen. She saw the dragon just as Khajiit's head was about to be removed from her shoulders," she calmly answered. The Dunmer reached for her sword again, this woman was a criminal and she would finish what the headsman had started. Again, Jarl Balgruuf shot her a look and she stopped.

"You are…certainly forthcoming about your criminal past," he commented. The Khajiit merely shrugged. "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once!" He ordered, Proventus started to argue but was cut off, "I will not have a dragon burn my hold and slaughter my people!" The Dunmer was moved by her lord's conviction. This was why she served him; he always put the needs of his people first. She was leaving when she heard the Jarl say he had a job for the Khajiit; the Dunmer really wished he wouldn't trust that cat. The housecarl hoped that the city guard wouldn't let her back in but considering she was a quest for the Jarl, she doubted she would be stopped.

* * *

"Sir, I strongly suggest that you do not trust that walking carpet," Irileth cautioned when she returned from sending out the guards, "she is a Khajiit and cannot be trusted. She even admitted to being put to the block when she saw the dragon!"

"Nonsense, Irileth, she is trustworthy," Jarl Balgruuf waved her off, "she didn't have to come here to warn me of the Dragon or say that she is a criminal. Besides, I'm sure we can expect great things from her."

Before she could respond, a guard came rushing in, terrified and out of breath, "dragon at the Western Watchtower!"

"Irileth, go get Farengar and Dar'Teeg," the Jarl ordered.

The Dunmer headed immediately for the wizard's research area and gave them the news. Farengar was excited which annoyed her to no end. "I suggest you take this a little more seriously," she scolded, at least the Khajiit seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.

Once everyone was there, the Jarl instructed the guard to repeat the news. "A dragon was spotted flying over the Barrow. I never ran so fast in my life," the guard repeated.

"That will be all. Go to the Barracks for some rest and mead, you've earned it," the Jarl commended and the guard left. Jarl Balgruuf turned to Dar'Teeg, "there's no time to stand on ceremonies, my friend. We need your help again." Irileth wanted to yell when the Jarl said "my friend."

"This one? How could Khajiit be any help?" She asked incredulously.

"You have more experience than anyone with fighting these monsters," the Jarl explained.

"Yes, Khajiit has experience running for her life from one," she quipped, "this one will do whatever she can to help."

* * *

The group had reached the Western Watchtower and the only one not surprised by the damage was Dar'Teeg. _A __**DRAGON**__ did this?!_ Irileth was shocked at just how bad the tower looked. The Dark elf watched the Khajiit sneak closer to the tower. _Looking for something to loot, no doubt_ she mentally grumbled then saw a lone guard hiding just inside the ruins of the tower; she immediately started running towards him.

"No! It's still here somewhere! The other two got nabbed when they tried to make a run for it!" The guard explained, "oh, Gods, here he comes again!" A roar shook the ground and everyone glanced up to see the source.

"Dragon!" A guard cried and the great beast attacked.

"Yol Toor Shul(i)!" Mirmulnir(ii) shouted and fire descended upon them. The Dark elf could hear the cries of her men as they shot at the dragon in the hope that the damn thing would land.

One of the guards got a lucky shot and the arrow got Mirmulnir in the eye, forcing it to land. "Quickly, before it takes to the air!" Irileth ordered, not even bothering to see what the Khajiit was up to. The elf drew her sword and charged at the dragon to see Dar'Teeg already on the giant reptile's head, ears flat against her skull and fangs in view, on the dragon's head taking off chunks of scales and meat as her sharp claws hit their mark. Mirmulnir bellowed his pain and rage and shouted fire at the Nords on the ground. With his strength fading, the dragon gave his head one last mighty shake to throw off his unwanted passenger. The dragon met with some success as the cat flew off his head but fate was sealed when the Khajiit righted herself in midair and landed on all fours. Dar'Teeg skidded back a bit before her momentum finally stopped. The Dunmer was sure that the Khajiit would be out of the fight after she was thrown to the ground. _Anyone would be _the housecarl thought but was surprised when Dar'Teeg flattened her ears and hissed at the dragon before running at it on all fours and leaping onto its snout and resuming her attack.

Irileth and her men all paused for a moment in shock at the ferocity of a race they had seen do little else but hiss and slit your throat the moment your back was turned. By the time any of them recovered, the dragon had let out his death cry, "Dovakiin! No!" Then fell over dead.

Dar'Teeg slid off the dead dragon's head and proceeded to pat the dust off of herself. It was when the corpse started to make noise that they all looked back at it. _Is it not dead yet?!_ She mentally wondered. A wind picked up around the dragon and a light engulfed the body before it flew on the sudden wind and then engulfed the Khajiit.

It took a minute before anyone could even think of what just happened.

"You…you're Dragonborn!" One of the older guards stuttered and started bickering with the other guards over whether or not the burnt cur coat was the mythical Dragonborn or not. "One way to find out," the guard explained, "try shouting, like the dragons do."

All watched with baited breath as she turned to the dragon skeleton, took a deep breath and shouted, "Fus(iii)!" To everyone's amazement, the skeleton moved. Her shout was weaker than a Dragon but all the Nords had to admit, she had shouted.

"You shouted!" One of the guards exclaimed.

"T-this one is unsure what just happened," Dar'Teeg stuttered and glanced over at the heap of bones that wanted her head not too long ago. One of the guards started to explain to her but got quickly caught up into another argument with the other guards.

Irileth was still unsure what to think about all this and was so caught up in her own shock and confusion that she almost didn't hear when one of her men asked her for her thoughts. The Dunmer shoved aside any thoughts that entertained that the walking carpet was something special. "You all would do well to trust in the strength of your sword arm than this Nord nonsense," she lectured, "here is a dead dragon that is something we all can understand."

"Nord nonsense?! You wouldn't understand, housecarl, you ain't a Nord," a guard scoffed.

"I've been all across Tamriel and seem things just as outlandish as this!" She huffed, "I don't need some 'mythical Dragonborn'. Someone who can kill dragons is more than enough for me." The elven housecarl turned to look at the Khajiit to see her already heading back to Whiterun.

The argument continued for a little while longer before the ground shook, "Dovakiin."

"It's the Greybeards," a guard gasped, "the Khajiit was summoned to High Hrothgar! Such a thing hasn't happened since Tiber Septim was still Talos of Atmora!" The Dunmer turned to stare in awe at the Throat of the World off in the distance; Greybeards didn't care about what was happening to the world below the monastery.

_For them to summon some Khajiit…expect great things indeed._ Irileth mused and then turned to return to Dragonsreach.

* * *

i Fire breath shout

ii Name of the Dragon at the Western Watchtower

iii First part of Unrelenting Force

* * *

A big thanks to my Beta Reader and to Elizabeth Carter for reviewing, I'm glad someone's reading this


	3. Dovakiin

Disclaimer: Is this really necessary?

Master Einarth had been practicing shouts when Master Arngeir returned from speaking with Paarthunax and the look on Arngeir's face said he had something important to tell the others. Abandoning his training, Einarth followed Arngeir inside. Once everyone had gathered, Arngeir spoke, "Grandmaster Paarthunax has informed me that a Dragonborn was discovered outside Whiterun after Mirmulnir came out of hiding and was killed." Master Einarth and the other Greybeards were understandably surprised and even a little excited; what would the Dragonborn look like and could this person really learn a Thu'um like dragons do? "Come, we must summon the Dragonborn to High Hrothgar," Arngeir commented. The other Greybeards nodded and they exited the monastery to summon the dragonborn.

"Dovakiin!" They called out and the mountain shook with the power of their voice.

* * *

It was a few days later when a lone Khajiit clothed in fur armour pushed the heavy doors open, plucking Ice Troll teeth(i) out of her left hand. Master Einarth couldn't help but to be surprised somewhat that it was a Khajiit walking in saying she was answering their summons. He glanced over at the other Greybeards while Arngeir explained to Dar'Teeg what being dragonborn meant and could see they were surprised as well; they thought a male Nord would walk in. Arngeir had her demonstrate her Thu'um.

"Fus!" The Greybeards staggered to catch their footing. It was only the first word but it was exceptionally powerful(ii).

_Then she is dragonborn. I cannot wait to see what else she can do_ Einarth thought and stepped forward when called. _You have much to learn, Dovakiinn and I wonder how the rest of Skyrim will deal with her. It would do them well to learn that Skyrim belongs to man or mer race _he mused.

"Master Einarth will now show you 'Ro' or 'balance'," Master Arngeir informed.

Einarth looked down at the ground and whispered, "Ro." The Khajiit learned the new word immediately.

"You learn a new word like a Master," Arngeir complimented. She obviously didn't understand the full extent of the compliment but was pleased by it nonetheless. Einarth gifted her with his knowledge of "Ro" and watched with veiled interest as she absorbed all he knew within seconds.

* * *

Master Borri led her into the courtyard and taught her "Wuld" just as quickly as he had taught her "Ro"; the Greybeards couldn't help but be jealous of her up until she nearly ran into Master Borri while she was trying to stop her "Wuld"! The Khajiit had managed to stop in time which was lucky for Master Borri since the poor man looked like he was torn between running and shouting her backwards into the closed gate!

"Dar'Teeg is sorry! No harm done, yes?" She apologized. Master Borri nodded and turned her attention back to Master Arngeir.

"You are ready for your final test," he stated, "retrieve the Horn of Jorgen Windcaller from his tomb in Ustengrav." The khajiit nodded and sprinted off through the doors.

* * *

It had been almost a week before the Greybeards heard her clawed feet click on the Temple's tiles. Master Einarth had begun to worry that something had gone wrong or that she wasn't as ready as Master Arngeir seemed to think. The Khajiit walked in wearing her usual fur armour, minus the boots. The singed fur all over her body, burnt stubble still attached to her feet told the Greybeards what had happened to her boots(iii). The poor cat didn't seem too pleased despite the fact she had the horn in her pack along with some dragon skin acting as a patch on the pack where something large and sharp caught the fabric. She padded over to Master Arngeir and gave him the horn before sitting on the ground to pluck burnt splinters from the heels of her feet. "Khajiit has decided she doesn't like traps and that she **really **does not like fire breathing lizards," she sighed and was so distracted with pulling splinters out of her feet that she missed the looks the Greybeards exchanged.

Dar'Teeg stood up after she was sure she had gotten all the pieces of the burnt house out of her feet and faced Arngeir who had recovered from his surprise. "Dragonborn, you have completed your final test. Stand between us and prepare yourself. Few can withstand the unbridled Voice of the Greybeards. But you are ready," Arngeir instructed. Hesitantly, the Khajiit stood in the center of the four masters and waited. She seemed unsure what to expect but seemed pleased with her accomplishment all the same.

"Lingrah krosis suraan Strundu'ul , voth nid balaan klov praan nau," the building violently shook and Dar'Teeg struggled to stay standing as the floor beneath her quaked, "Naal Thum'umu, mu ofan nii nu, Dovakiin, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth. Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok," they finished and once more the building was still. Master Einarth watched with pride as she regained her footing and balance. The elder priest couldn't help the pride he felt for the Khajiit; she took to what they had to teach so easily and wanted to know as much about the Way of the Voice as she could. _She wants to use it properly_ he thought and couldn't help but remember their former student(iv) and how he had gone against the Way of the Voice to kill the High King. The Greybeard pushed those dark thoughts from his mind and watched her walk over to Arngeir after getting her bearings.

"Dovakiin. You have tasted the Voice of the Greybeards and passed through unscathed. High Hrothgar is open to you," Arngeir informed, masking his own pride.

"Dar'Teeg wishes to know more about the ceremony. You were shouting, no?" She asked.

Arngeir nodded, "the same words were used to greet the young Talos, when he came to High Hrothgar, before he became Tiber Septim."

She was quiet as she took that in, "Khajiit did not understand the words."

Master Arngeir nodded again and Master Einarth couldn't help the mental chuckle at his collegue's expense, of course she had no idea what they had said. "Ah. I sometimes forget you are not as versed in the dragon tongue as we are. This is a rough translation:

Long has the Stormcrown languished, with no worthy brow to sit upon. By our breath we bestow it to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora the Old. You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North, hearken to it."

The Khajiit was quiet again in thought as she fingered one of the rings in one of her braids, the gears in her head turning. With some hesitation she asked, "you will tell this one what it truly means to be Dragonborn now, yes?"

Master Arngeir nodded, "some believe that the Dragonborn are sent into the world by the Gods, at times of great need. We will speak more of that later, when you are ready." Dar'Teeg nodded and Arngeir left when it was clear she wasn't going to ask any more questions. Master Einarth returned to meditation but his thoughts never left the Khajiit sitting where she had stood moments ago; all the overconfidence from earlier seemed to have disappeared.

The cat woman fingered one of her braid rings again and stared into the fire. "What is it this one is supposed to do, Mother Soul? What will Khajiit have to save Nirn from?" She muttered and let go of the ring. "Will this one find what she is looking for then?" She whispered almost too low for Master Einarth to hear and then left the temple to continue her long quest.

Master Einarth turned to where she had been sitting moments before and whispered, "Dovakiin," and the temple shuddered. He turned back to where he was sitting and closed his eyes to meditate, this time succeeding.

* * *

This chapter was suggested by Dakatmew. Again, thanks to my beta

* * *

i I don't know about anyone else but on the way up to High Hrothgar I always have to fight this stupid troll

ii Apparently someone realized that the Fus Ro Dah shout wasn't accurate and made a mod to fix that

iii My first time at Kynesgrove I attacked Alduin…and learned not to do that

iv Elderscrolls Wiki says Ulfric Stormcloak was a former student of the Greybeards


	4. Hate

Disclaimer: This is a pain in the ass, if I really owned Skyrim, think I would be doing this?

* * *

The Windhelm guards had been complaining to one another about how loud Rolff Stone-fist(i) had been the other night when he was shouting at the Dunmer in the Gray Quarter when a Khajiit came walking up.

"I don't care if he wants to yell at those Gray Skins but does he have to do it so early? Damn idiot kept me awake with his screaming," the first one complained.

"Ugh, tell me about it, I was just about ready to-" the second guard was interrupted by his partner nudging him and pointing to the Mer walking up to the doors. "Move along, cat, your kind are not welcome in Windhelm," he hissed "your kind".

The Khajiit stopped and stared at the guards, not seeming to care about their tone. "But Khajiit is cold, hungry, and low on supplies. Surely you could look the other way while this one shops in the market to fill her pack," she asked and gestured to her pack that looked like it lost a fight with a Troll.

"That thing doesn't need refilling, it needs _replacing_," the first guard commented in disgust.

Dar'Teeg smiled, "then we are in agreement, Khajiit will shop in market quickly to buy supplies and replace her pack and leave just as quickly." She started to reach for the door but was knocked back by a shield. Her ears flattened with annoyance and her tail flicked in thought. The Guards could almost see the lightbulb that appeared above her head. Her ears straightened and she looked at the guards. "How about a wager?" She asked.

"What kind of wager?" The first guard asked suspiciously.

"Very simple," she smiled as non-threatening as she could, "If Dar'Teeg can open door without touching it or using magic, you let her in and let other guards know to treat Khajiit like any other traveler while she is here."

"And if you lose?" The second one asked.

She shrugged, "then you capture Khajiit saying she was here to try to kill Ulfric Stormcloack."

"What's to stop us from doing that anyway?" The first threatened.

"Your pride, of course," she hummed, "this one was under the impression Nords were too prideful for such deceit."

The guards "urked" and grumbled before the first one nodded, "alright then, cat, we accept."

Dar'Teeg grinned, "please step aside, this one would hate to accidentally harm you." The guards stepped aside and the other guards who had been eavesdropping on the conversation crowded near to see what she would do. The Khajiit took a step back, inhaled, and shouted, "Fus Ro Dah!" at the door. The guards closest to door were knocked back and the massive door flew open, startling everyone on the other side. Even Rolff was momentarily stunned while accusing Suvaris Atheron(ii) of being an Imperial Spy.

The Khajiit turned to the door guards expectantly. It took them a few moments to get over their shock before the first one cleared his throat. "Enjoy your stay in Windhelm," he coughed.

Dar'Teeg smiled happily at the guards, "may you walk on warm sands(iii)."

It was as she was entering that the two guards got a good look at her pack. The second visibly paled when he got a closer look at the patches holding it together, "do those patched look like they're made…of dragon skin to you?"

* * *

Dar'Teeg almost couldn't stop the laughter that threatened to bubble up at the sight of the guard's faces. At least the guards would leave her alone now. She was stopped from her musings when she heard an angry drunk Nord accusing a Dunmer woman of being a spy. The Khajiit walked over, ready to stop the argument should it escalate. Ralff eyed the cat and thought back to moments ago when the gate's doors flew open because of her. "Maybe I'll pay you a visit tonight, spy," he threatened and walked off.

Before the Khajiit could say anything Suvaris turned to face her with the same hard expression she had when dealing with Rolff. "Are you here to bully us and tell us to leave?" She demanded.

The Khajiit blinked and shook her head, "no, this one has no trouble with Dunmer."

Her expression softened, "then you don't belong here." The woman turned and left, leaving a confused Khajiit.

Dar'Teeg watched her leave. _But I had to trick the guards to get in_ she thought.

* * *

The furry mer was having a hard time finding a merchant that didn't spew racial slurs at her as they forced her to leave their store. She was starting to see what Suvaris was talking about when the only merchant who really actually spoke to her was Revyen Sadri(iv) and to a lesser extent Oengul War-Anvil(v), neither of which had a new pack for her to buy. "I would have been better off traveling to Whiterun, Belethor would have at least pretended to be happy to see me(vi)," she growled inElsweyrish(vii). Dar'Teeg chose to "not hear" Angrenor Once-Honored(viii) mutter something about "damn cats not speaking Tamrielic". She had taken a wrong turn and instead of ending up at Candle Hearth Hall, she was in a grave yard where a mob of people surrounded a body lying on a tombstone slab. She walked over to the guard trying to push the people back. What happened here?" The Khajiit asked.

The guard recognized her as the one who shouted the gate doors open. "There's been another murder," he answered.

She could see the lone guard was struggling with his task. "You need help, yes?" She asked. "This one would be happy to help," she offered.

"You can question the witnesses," the guard agreed. Dar'Teeg did just that and decided that Helgrid(ix) was creepy and Calixto Corrium(x) was strange. She reported her findings to the guard who sent her to the Palace of the Kings(xi) to talk to Jorleif(xii) to get permission to help further.

* * *

Calixto eyed the Khajiit as she talked to the guard after she got permission to help, he decided he didn't like that cat; something about her screamed suspicion. _Was my lie too obvious?_ He questioned. He watched as her ear flicked in his direction. She was talking to the guard but she was listening to the witnesses. As much as Calixto wanted to stay, he had a store to run and milling around any longer was going to attract attention. He left just before the guard gave her the key to Hjerim.

* * *

Calixto had been on his way to the abandoned house when Dar'Teed stopped him. "Khajiit has a question for you," she started, holding the Necromancer's amulet. The shop keeper's eyes widened but he quickly hid it, assuring himself that she hadn't seen it.

"What can I do for you?" He smiled.

"This one was told that you could tell Khajiit what this amulet is and who it belongs to," she informed, showing him the amulet. He went to take it from her but his hand was smacked away by her free hand.

He rubbed his hand but noticed she had been careful not to cut him with her claws. "That looks like Wuunferth the Unliving's(xiii) amulet," he lied. Calixto watched with masked apprehension if the cat would buy his lie.

"If this is the mage's then he must be the killer," she hmmed, "this one will let the steward know. You have Khajiit's thanks."

He let out a mental sigh of relief as Dar'Teeg bought his story._ Now to get that amulet back_ he thought. "You wouldn't happen to be selling that amulet, would you? It's valuable to collectors, I'll buy it from you for 500 Septims," he offered. Khajiits were well known for their greed.

He watched as her tail swished in thought, obviously weighing her choices to try and sell it for more later or sell it to him now. Slowly she shook her head, "Khajiit will keep it for now."

_Damn it! _He mentally cursed but smiled, "alright but just remember me if you can't sell it." Dar'Teeg nodded and left towards the Palace. Calixto headed to the abandoned house and entered when no one was looking. "Damn that walking carpet!" He hissed, "I need that amulet!" He sat next to the desecrated corpse on the table and tried to think about what he could do. _I know! She's off to get that mage arrested. I'll kill the next one and make it look like she did it!_ He schemed.

* * *

Night came too slowly to Calixto as he waited for the Khajiit to enter the inn and not come back out. When he finally decided she was asleep, he went off to find a suitable victim. He found the High Elf Arivanya passing through the market area on her way home and grinned. _Perfect! _

He drew his dagger and snuck up behind her. Just as he was getting to strike a rough familiar voice yelled out, "stop!" The Altmer jumped and whirled around to see him standing there with his dagger.

"Somebody help!" She screeched and took off running.

Calixto chased after her, he could deal with the Khajiit later. As he chased his victim, he registered a quick clicking following behind him. He turned his head in time to see Dar'Teeg launch herself off the ground on all fours towards him. His last thought before being knocked to the ground was _I really hate that cat_.

The merchant lay on the ground, too dazed to pick himself up off the ground. He knew in his fuzzy head that his target was gone, he was caught, and the back of his head was warm and sticky. He watched with blurred vision as Dar'Teeg walked over to where he landed. "How did you know?" He rasped.

She picked up his fallen dagger in her right hand and the fingers of her left touched her ears. "Dar'Teeg knows a lie when she hears one," she answered.

_Ah yes. How could I even hope to lie to a race known to be schemers and liars?_ He wondered. He watched her crouch down to get a good look at him, adjusting her grip on his dagger. "I thought Khajiits' didn't like using weapons other than their claws?" He asked.

She nodded, "you are right. Khajiit's don't," and buried the blade in his forehead.

The High Elf came running around the corner with two guards, "this way! This is where I was attacked!" She and the guards stopped when they saw Calixto lying on the ground with a dagger buried to the hilt in the middle of his forehead. "He's the one who attacked me," she muttered.

Guards immediately were searching his house and ship and found proof that he had been behind the murders. One guard found a note sitting in an oddly empty spot between two packs and a ratty old one patched with dragon skin lying empty on the floor. Curiously, he opened the note:

_Consider the pack payment for my help._

_ -Dar'Teeg_

The guard recognized the scribbled name as the name of the Khajiit who conned her way into the city. Chuckling, the guard crumpled the note and tossed it into the burning fireplace.

* * *

"I wasted ten septims," Dar'Teeg grumbled in her native language as she tied her new pack to her horse's saddle. "Oh well," she shrugged, "at least I got a new pack." She climbed onto the black horse and flicked the reigns, "let's go."

* * *

Once again, a big thanks to my beta!

* * *

i One of the guys accusing a Dunmer of being a spy

ii The Dunmer Rolff and the beggar accuse of being a spy

iii A Khajiit warm goodbye (I think)

iv Owner of Sadrie

's Used Wares

v Castle Blacksmith

vi Like I said in ch. 1, I believe Khajiit have their own language and because it's her native language, she would speak in first person

vii What I've decided to call a Khajiit's native language

viii The beggar who accuses the Suvaris with Rolff

ix Prepares the corpse for burial during the quest "Blood on the Ice"

x Owner of Calixto's House of Curiosities

xi Palace in Windhelm

xii Ulfric Stormcloak's steward

xiii Windhelm's court mage


	5. Brynjolf

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. I don't own Skyrim

* * *

Brynjolf spotted her the moment she walked through the city gates. Unlike other cities in Skyrim, Riften didn't care what race you were as long as you had the gold. The Thief knew from looking at her bloated coin purse that she had managed to convince the gate guards to let her in without her having to pay them off. He watched her stop, ears swiveling in every direction before grabbing her coin purse and tucking it into her armour that looked like it was made of dragon skini. He chuckled when he saw Wajeetaii suddenly turn a different way. _Trust a Khajiit to known when someone is after their Septims_ he mused. The nord prepared himself to confront her as she entered the marketplace. "Never worked a day in your life for that coin you carry, eh, lass?" He spoke lowly so only she would hear.

Her tail fluffed out in surprise before turning to Brynjolf with a glower. "This one fails to see how her wealth is any of your business," she hissed, the "r" in "your" rolling.

_Perfect, she's not afraid_ he mentally grinned. "That's where you're wrong, lass, wealth is my business," he smiled but pressed on when he saw her eyes narrow into slits, "I'm looking for an extra hand to pull off a job; and in my line of work, extra hands are well paid."

Dar'Teeg's dangerous glare turned into a suspicious but curious glower, "what sort of job?"

Bryjolf explained the job, watching her reaction carefully, "ready to make some gold?"

Her tail twitched in thought, "what would you have this one do?"

"I'm going to cause a distraction and you're going to steal the ring out of Madesi's strong box and plant it on Brand-Shei," he explained, "ready?"

The Khajiit studied the booth and her target for a moment before nodding, "ready."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please!" He called out and watched from the corner of his eye as she slunk off out of the crowd and disappeared behind Madesi's stall. He answered the group's questions while maintaining the pretense that he was actually trying to sell Falmer blood. Brynjolf lost track of the cat as she snuck back into the group; his cue that she had been successful was when she stood up and walked to the front and stared at him with her orange eyes. "I see my time is up!" He hollered and dismissed the grumbling group. "Were you successful?" He inquired; he knew she was but wanted confirmation.

The Khajiit nodded, "it is done."

"Excellent, now that I've whetted your appetite, how about a place in our organization?"

Dar'Teeg glanced over at the guards yelling at Brand-shei then turned back to Brynjolf with a smile, "where should Dar'Teeg go?"

He smirked, "you can find us in the ratway." The second in command left, it was a test and he couldn't give her any more information.

* * *

Brynjolf changed into his usual attire and sat at the bar of the Ragged Flagon still smiling about how well his job went in the marketplace. "What are you smiling about?" Vekel asked, "job go well?"

"Not only that, but I found a new recruit," he answered.

Vex scoffed, "and what makes you think this one is so special?"

"I can feel it," he answered.

"Feh, you sound just as suspicious as Delvin," Vex laughed.

Delvin set his sweet roll down and glared at Vex, "hey!" The white haired woman rolled her eyes but ignored Delvin otherwise.

"Give it up, Bryn, those days are over," Vekel sighed.

Brynjolf glanced behind him when he heard clicking on the stone and hid his smile, "really? What do you call that then?" Everyone looked over at the Khajiit who ignored their stares and stopped in front of Brynjolf. "Well, well! Color me impressed, lass. Wasn't sure I'd ever see you again."

Dar'Teeg looked around at the bar, "this one wonders why. That was not much of a test."

The second in command couldn't help but laugh, "reliable _and _head strong!" Brynjolf sent her off to collect money from some shop keepers and entered the Cistern to speak with Mercer.

* * *

"Heard you found a new recruit," the leader commented while looking at the ledger on the desk.

"I have. I sent her out on a test to see if she can collect funds without hurting them," he answered.

Mercer nodded, "if she passes, send her to me. I want to see if she's really as good as you say she is."

Brynjolf refused to admit that he was anxiously waiting for the newest recruit to get back. Vex and Vekel both kept telling him that he shouldn't have high hopes for her. The nord nearly let the smile on his face become a gloating smirk when she returned with the money. There had been no commotion from the streets above so she collected the gold without resorting to violence. She handed him the money and waited for her next orders. "Mercer wants to meet you, he's the leader of the guild," he explained and led her to the center of the Cistern where Mercer was already waiting. Brynjolf could see his leader's eyes narrow but couldn't even begin to wonder why.

"Brynjolf assured me you'll be nothing but a benefit to us," he stated, "but let's get one thing clear. You take your orders from me. You do what I say, when I say it. Got that?"

Dar'Teeg nodded, "yes, Sir," she smiled. Brynjolf wanted to laugh, it almost sounded sarcastic but it was hard to tell with her accent.

Mercer took it as sarcasm, "we've been having trouble with a farm," he began.

The second in command clued in, "you can't mean to send her there! Even our little Vex couldn't get in!"

The leader glanced over at Brynjolf before turning back to the Khajiit. "If she's as good as you say she is then there should be no problem," he ordered, "fill her in on the details."

He turned to see Dar'Teeg staring at him, patiently waiting for him to explain what the mission was. The thief calmed himself down mentally, _it would only make her nervous_ he thought. He explained the job and he could tell she was thinking hard. "Go talk to Vex, she was sent last time," he advised. Dar'Teeg nodded and left to talk to Vex in the Ragged Flagon.

After she left he walked over to Vex. "If she comes back at all, I'd be surprised," she stated.

"She'll come back," he affirmed.

Vex grunted and walked away to give Delvin a hard time about a shipment of "furs"iii.

* * *

It had been several hours and to calm his nerves, Brynjolf went to the Bee and Barb. _Why am I so nervous? _ He wondered _so what if she fails? It shouldn't matter_. He lifted up his mug of mead _I'm nervous because the guild's in trouble and I'm putting all my faith on a new recruit_. He set the mug down after drinking some of the mead. He was finishing his drink when a courier sat at the bar and started talking to Keerava.

"Just passed Goldenglow," he started and munched on some bread, "apparently someone robbed their safe and set fire to some of the hives."

Brynjolf nearly choked on his mead when he heard that. _She did it?!_ He put the mug down to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"How terrible," Keerava sighed, "do they know who did it?"

The courier shook his head, "no, whoever it was, wasn't spotted by the mercenaries and even managed to pick-pocket Aringoth's safe key without him noticing!"

Brynjolf stood up and headed back to the guild, he couldn't believe it, she had done it! He got back moments before she did; thankfully she had decided to take the Ratway rather than the shortcut. "Did you find out why he cut Maven out of the deal?" He asked.

"This one did," she answered and handed him a piece of paper.

He opened the folded paper to reveal it was a bill of sale. "So Aringoth sold Goldenglow, Maven won't be happy," he looked for a signature but all there was, was the upside down dagger at the top of the page, "you ever see this mark before?"

Dar'Teeg shook her head, "this one had never seen it before."

"Maybe Mercer will know," he sighed and both walked over to his desk. Brynjolf couldn't help the swell of pride at the look on their leader's face when they both had shown up. "Dar'Teeg just got back from Goldenglow and found this bill of sale in the safe," Brynjolf explained and handed him the paper.

Mercer looked it over and studied the mark at the top of the page, "what's this strange symbol at the top?" He queried.

Brynjolf shrugged, "don't know, boss. Neither of us have seen it before."

Their leader hmmed in thought. "I'll see if I can find out the meaning of this symbol. Meanwhile," he looked over at the Khajiit, "Maven Black-Briar wants to see you at the Bee and Barb." He dismissed them and both walked away.

"Khajiit thought she had done well," she quizzed.

"You did do well, lass," Brynjolf laughed, "trust me; it's a good thing Maven wants to see you. Best not to keep her waiting." Dar'Teeg nodded and left to climb up the ladder to leave the Cistern. Brynjolf watched her leave and smiled. _Maybe I'm right to put my faith in this new recruit_ he mused.

* * *

Sorry for the delay! I sprained my left pointer finger and couldn't type up the chapters. It's still giving me trouble and making it a bitch to type so while the next chapter is ready on paper, I haven't typed it out yet. Big hand for my beta!

* * *

i Armour you can smith when you get the Dawnguard DLC

ii The Argonian in Riften addicted to Skooma

iii One of the conversations Vex and Delvin at the Ragged Flagon


End file.
